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Risk factor clustering for psychopathology in socially at-risk Spanish children

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Abstract

Background

Data based on general population studies of exposure-to-risk factors is not adequate to describe the mental health of children living in the most extreme “high-risk” environments.

Methods

Data were collected in a longitudinal prospective study of two cohorts of 9 and 13 year-old socially at-risk children. Cluster analysis was used to classify youths based on the reports about potential areas of risk. The psychopathological structure of empirical clusters was compared through cross-sectional and longitudinal epidemiological indexes and through multiple regression and multivariate analysis of variance.

Results

Cluster analysis provided eight binary high-low risk classifications. Exposure to risk was highly prevalent. In preadolescence, broken family, parenting style and contextual profiles were the highest risk factors for psychopathology. In adolescence, they were psychological variables, verbal comprehension, pre-peri-postnatal history, physical health and family characteristics. Cumulative risk followed a linear trend for psychopathology and functional impairment. The child’s perception of low marital discord and good school achievement were protective factors.

Conclusions

Extreme socially at-risk populations have specific profiles of risk that can be identified through a person-centered approach and may be amenable to selective preventive interventions.

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Abbreviations

AFp:

Population attributable fraction

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants BS02002-3850 and SEJ2005-01786 of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Spain. We wish to thank the City Council and Educational and Health Centers of Badía del Vallés for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unitat d’Epidemiologia i de Diagnòstic en Psicopatologia del Desenvolupament, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Lourdes Ezpeleta, Roser Granero, Núria de la Osa & Josep M. Domènech

  2. Dept. de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Edifici B, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain

    Lourdes Ezpeleta & Núria de la Osa

  3. Dept. de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Roser Granero & Josep M. Domènech

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  1. Lourdes Ezpeleta
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  2. Roser Granero
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  4. Josep M. Domènech
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Correspondence to Lourdes Ezpeleta.

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Ezpeleta, L., Granero, R., de la Osa, N. et al. Risk factor clustering for psychopathology in socially at-risk Spanish children. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 43, 559–568 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0312-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0312-6

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